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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Tom Armstrong

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Sphinx (ARL- 24)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Mike - Quebec
NDMQ

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (6-5NOV68, 18JUN69, 21JUN69, 5JUL70, 21NOV70, 23NOV70) - Presidential Unit Citation (2) - Navy Unit Commendation (3)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (1)
Fourth Row - Vietnam Service Medal (8) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (8) - Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal

Achelous Class Landing Craft Repair Ship:

Authorized as LST-963

Redesignated Landing Craft Repair Ship (ARL), 11 September 1944

Laid down, 20 October 1944 at Bethlehem Steel Co., Hingham, MA.

Launched, 18 November 1944

Placed in partial commissioned for ferrying to her fitting out yard, 12 December 1944, LT. Evans, Maurice H. in command

Decommissioned, 8 January 1945, at Merrill Stevens Dry Dock Co., Jacksonville, FL. for fitting out

Recommissioned, USS Sphinx (ARL-24), 10 May 1945, LCDR. Evans, Maurice H. in command

USS Sphinx (ARL-24) was assigned to Joint Task Force 1, Task Unit 1.8.1 Service Group - Repair and Service Unit for Operation Crossroads the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in July 1946

Decommissioned, 24 May 1947, at San Diego, CA.

Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group

Recommissioned, 3 November 1950, at San Diego, LCDR Collier, Leland H. in command

During the Korean War USS Sphinx (ARL-24) participated in the following campaign:

Campaign and Dates
Korean War Campaigns
UN Summer-Fall Offensive, 26 to 28 April 1952

Decommissioned, 30 January 1956, at San Diego

Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group

Recommissioned, 16 December 1967, at New Orleans, LA., LCDR Looby, Robert J. in command

During the Vietnam War USS Sphinx (ARL-24) participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Vietnam War Campaigns
Vietnamese Counteroffensive, Phase IV 8 June to 30 June 1968	Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 9 June to 20 June 1969 23 August to 31 October 1969
Vietnamese Counteroffensive, Phase V 1 July to 1 November 1968	Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970 1 November 1969 to 30 April 1970
Vietnamese Counteroffensive, Phase VI 2 November 1968 to 22 February 1969	Sanctuary Counteroffensive, 1 May to 30 June 1970
Tet 69/Counteroffensive, 23 February to 8 June 1969	Vietnamese Counteroffensive, Phase VII, 1 July to 12 December 1970 11 March to 30 June 1971

Decommissioned, 30 September 1971, at Bremerton, WA.

Struck from the Naval Register, 16 April 1977

Re-acquired by the Navy in 1985

Recommissioned, 26 July 1985, at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA., CDR Vosseler, Paul K. USN in command

Decommissioned, 16 June 1989, at Norfolk, VA.

Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown

USS Sphinx earned one battle star for the Korean War and eight campaigns stars for Vietnam War service

Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA., 15 June 1990

Custody transferred, 2 December 2002, to Dunkirk Historical Lighthouse and Veterans Park Museum, Dunkirk, N.Y.

Dunkirk Historical Lighthouse and Veterans Park, was unable to raised the required funds to tow Sphinx out of the National Defense Reserve Fleet

MARAD retained title and officially withdrew it from donation in April 2007

Sold for scrapping 24 August 2007, to North American Ship Recycling, Sparrows Point, MD. as part of a five ship contract worth $2,161,610

Abandoned at Baltimore, MD., when North American Ship Recycling went out of business in 2007

Scrapping contract re-awarded, 30 November 2007, to Bay Bridge Enterprises, Chesapeake, VA., for $695,000

Final Disposition, towed from North American Ship Recycling at Baltimore, MD. to Bay Bridge Enterprises, Chesapeake, VA., 1 December 2007, for scrapping

Specifications:
Displacement 2,220 t.(lt) 3,960 t.(fl) 4,840 t.(lim)
Length 327'9"
Beam 50'1½"
Draft 16'2" (fully loaded)
Speed 10 kts.

Complement

Officers 21

Enlisted 232

Ship's Boatstwo 36' LCVP

Cranes

one 25 Ton Fixed Kingpost Crane

one 5 Ton Bridge Gantry Crane

Armament

two MK2 Mod 18 quad 40mm AA gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors

two Gun Directors MK5 Mod2

six .50 cal. Machine Guns

two Stinger Firing Stations

Fuel Capacity 4,715Bbls

Propulsion

two General Motors 12-567A Detroit Twelve Cylinder Diesel Engines, combined horsepower 1800

single Falk Main Reduction Gears
Ship's Service Generators
four Diesel-drive 100Kw 120V/240V A.C.
five Diesel-drive 100Kw 450V D.C.

two fixed pitch 7' bronze propellers

twin rudders

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
100201510	167k	View from the bridge aft of the U.S. Navy attack cargo ship *USS Andromeda* (AKA-15), circa 1950. The landing craft repair ship USS Sphinx (ARL-24) is visible on the left, she was recommissioned, 3 November 1950. Aft of Sphinx is the cargo ship USS Grainger (AK-184)**. U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships photo 19-NN-AKA-15 Andromeda-154139. This image is available in the holdings of the US National Archives and Records Administration, cataloged under the National Archives Identifier (NAID) ) 6931761.	Robert Hurst
	342k	*USS Sphinx* (ARL-24)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Tommy Trampp
	9k	*USS Sphinx* (ARL-24)** in Vietnamese waters, date unknown	Tom Willoughby USS Askari (ARL30) Association, courtesy Dennis Miller
	98k	*USS Sphinx* (ARL-24)** in Vietnamese waters, date unknown.	Albert Moore, Mobile Riverine Force Association
	78k	*USS Sphinx* (ARL-24)** anchored at Vung Tao South Vietnam in Sept 1970, The ship was enroute to Tan Chao.	Artie Kitchen EN3
	27k	*USS Sphinx* (ARL-24)** underway in Puget Sound prior to recommissioning in 1985 at Bremerton Naval Shipyard.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
10192418	142k	*USS Sphinx* (ARL-24) moored pierside at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA., during the ship's recommissioning ceremony, 26 July 1985. The decommissioned destroyer USS Turner Joy (DD-951)** is visible to the right. US National Archives Identifier (NAID) 6408302, a US Navy photo by PH1 Gerwien, USN.	Robert Hurst
	59k	*USS Sphinx* (ARL-24)** laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA., date unknown.	Joe Lombardi, Ocean Technical Services
	95k	Ex-Sphinx (ARL-24) being moved by commercial tug through Hampton Roads (downtown Norfolk, VA. in the background) from North American Ship Recycling at Baltimore, MD. to Bay Bridge Enterprises, Chesapeake, VA., for scrapping, 1 December 2007	Photo by Mabel Clark
	279k	Ex-Sphinx (ARL-24) moored forward of Ex-Hoist (ARS-40) at Bay Bridge Enterprises, Chesapeake, VA., awaiting the scrappers cutting torch, 20 December 2007	Photo by Jerry Crow
	284k	Ex-Sphinx (ARL-24) moored at Bay Bridge Enterprises, Chesapeake, VA., awaiting dismantling, 20 December 2007	Photo by Jerry Crow
	315k	Ex-Sphinx (ARL-24) moored at Bay Bridge Enterprises, Chesapeake, VA., awaiting dismantling, 20 December 2007	Photo Jerry Crow
	206k	Ex-Sphinx (ARL-24) moored at Bay Bridge Enterprises, Chesapeake, VA., awaiting dismantling, December 2007.	Robert Hurst

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Evans, Maurice H.	12 December 1944 - 8 January 1945
	Decommissioned	8 January 1945 - 10 May 1945
02	LCDR. Evans, Maurice H.	10 May 1945 - 13 May 1946
03	LTjg. Salisbury, Harley George	13 May 1946 - 20 July 1946
04	LT. Hass, Walter H.	20 July 1946 - 23 May 1947
	Decommissioned	23 May 1947 - 3 November 1950
05	LCDR. Collier, Leland H., USN	3 November 1950 - 31 July 1952
06	LCDR. Hann, Edward Neyland	31 July 1952 - 9 August 1954
07	CDR. Doran, Edward Martin	9 August 1954 - 30 January 1956
	Decommissioned	30 January 1956 - 16 December 1967
08	LCDR. Looby, Robert Joseph	16 December 1967 - 6 December 1968
09	LCDR. Marckfeld, William Edwin, USN	6 December 1968 - 3 December 1969
10	LCDR. Garcia, Rudolpho Carlos (Rudy)	3 December 1969 - 9 November 1970
11	LCDR. Seeber, Lauren	9 November 1970 - 26 July 1971
12	LT. Lake, Larry Jay	26 July 1971 - 6 August 1971
13	LCDR. Young Jr., Sol	6 August 1971 - 30 September 1971
	Decommissioned	30 September 1971 - 26 July 1985
14	CDR. Vosseler, Paul Kurt Alfred, USN	26 July 1985 - June 1986
15	CDR. Londot, Jack Lane, USN	June 1986 - 23 July 1987
16	CDR. Kendall, Gene Roger :RADM	23 July 1987 - 26 July 1988
17	CDR. Baker, Thomas Allan, USN	26 July 1988 - 16 June 1989


Courtesy USS Sphinx (ARL-24) Web Site

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

For more photos and information about USS Sphinx see;
USS Sphinx (ARL-24)

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
Mobile Riverine Force Association - History of The USS Sphinx (ARL-24)
USS Sphinx (ARL-24) 30 September 1971 Decommissioning Program
USS Sphinx (ARL-24) 26 July 1985 Recommissioning Program
Mobile Riverine Force Association
USS Sphinx ARL-24 on Facebook
Postal Covers related to the ship

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Last Updated 13 December 2024